Keeping Kama

Chapter 9

Seated at her desk inside the trailer, Leia swiveled in her chair to face Kai. “Did you receive the financial report I sent to Tyson? I sent a copy to you and Derek also,” said Leia.

Kai shifted forward, moving around his mouse. His computer screen lit back up. “I reviewed it item by item with Derek earlier.” Scanning the document, Kai leaned back in his chair and faced Leia. “I don’t know what he is thinking, but I have the feeling Tyson isn’t as welcoming of the idea of investing in Kama Farm as Derek is.” Kai crossed his ankles and cradled the back of his neck with his hands.

“Because he asked for the financial report?” questioned Leia. She wasn’t privy to all the conversations happening between Kai and Derek.

Shaking his head, Kai said, “That’s only part of it. Earlier today, I had a conference call with Tyson and Derek. Tyson flat out stated he wasn’t eager to invest unless the numbers showed a bigger rate of return for them.”

Her stomach dropped. With a constricted throat, Leia asked, “What’s going to happen if they don’t invest?”

“I don’t know.” Kai shifted forward, snatching a stress ball off the corner of his desk. He squeezed it in one hand. “We’ll probably have to sell off sections of land to subsidize the farming. The fact of the matter is we aren’t making enough from our small fruit stand. With both dad and mom unable to work, I had to hire other people to replace them. And that is making it impossible to turn a profit. Alana has stepped in when she can, but she, too, can only do so much. Something must be done.” He switched the stress ball to his other hand and squeezed.

“I don’t want to see the farm sold off in sections. You need to do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening, because the land surrounding the farm is what makes this place so special. We need to save all of it, not only the farm.” Leia’s mind spun. Before, she didn’t understand the full picture, but now the reality was staring her in the face. An outside investor wasn’t ideal, but losing the land or the farm would be devastating. “Did Derek talk to you more about the farm tours?” Leia clicked her mouse, opening her email again. She read through the email thread, looking for anything she might have missed. “It might make the farm profitable again.”

“Leia,” said Kai. “I don’t know. I’m not even sure where to start or if it would only be a last-ditch effort to save something that can’t be saved. I’ll discuss it with Alana further, because she’d be taking on some of the extra workload too.” He squeezed his stress ball tighter, making his knuckles white.

Leia had never seen Kai this concerned. Usually, Kai was carefree; not much upset him or stressed him out. Maybe Kai didn’t see a way out if the investment money didn’t come in. Her throat burned with bile.

Gulping, Leia asked, “What does Mom say?”

“You know I can’t trouble Mom with any of this. She’s already at her max, taking care of Dad. Mom’s main concern is making sure she and Dad can live out the rest of their days on this land and in their home. They thought they had years left to work Kama before handing everything over to me. I certainly thought I had more time too so I could be trained properly to take everything on. But now, I only I hope I can give them their wish to keep Kama.”

“We all want the same thing too,” said Leia. “None of us want to live anywhere else.”

Raising an eyebrow, Kai said, “Are you sure about that, little sis? Last I heard, you might be announcing you’re moving to California to be with a washed-up surfer boy.” Kai tossed the stress ball on top of his desk.

And Kai was back to his usual self.

Leia scoffed. “He isn’t a washed-up surfer boy.” Pushing up her chin, she continued, “We’re almost the same age.”

Kai crossed his arms against himself. “Exactly,” he smirked.

“Watch it,” warned Leia. Wagging a finger in his direction, Leia added, “Remember, Kai, don’t dish what you can’t take.”

His hands flew up in defeat, Kai said, “I’m not. Geez. No need for you to get all testy. I’m only reporting that Aria and Kalon said you two were awful cozy with one another last night at their food truck for dinner.” He tsked, giving her a pointed glance. “Come on, Leia, I thought you were smarter than to bring a guy on a first date to a place where he’d be on full display. A rookie mistake, because now the entire family knows about your budding relationship.”

“I’m not in a relationship.” Her cheeks warmed. Leia swiveled in her chair, turning away from Kai. The less he knew about her developing feelings for Derek, the better. She wiggled her mouse around to reveal the computer screen. “But, if you must know, I had a nice time.” Leia shrugged nonchalantly. “I think Derek did too.”

Rubbing his hands together, Kai said, “So, my sister is finally having her summer fling.”

“It’s fall,” countered Leia.

“True, but I mean the essence of a summer fling is exactly what you are doing with Derek. People come to Hawaii to escape their lives. A whirlwind romance is practically in the tourist pamphlets for visiting Hawaii.” He waved a hand. “Hence your fling.”

Sharply, she swiveled her chair to face Kai. Leia said defensively through a clenched jaw, “It’s not a fling.”

Kai reached out and squeezed Leia’s shoulder. “Sorry little sis. It is just that. Derek is going back to Los Angeles, you’ll stay here. But I get it, everyone deserves a little fun now and then.”

His words knocked the wind out of Leia. Leia shook her shoulder free from Kai’s hand. Pushing up her chin, Leia narrowed her eyes at Kai. “I’m not discussing Derek any further with you.” Leia swiveled back and faced her computer. With a shaky hand, she forced her fingers to find her keyboard.

In a much softer voice, Kai said, “I only don’t want to see you get hurt. I think you might like the guy. But remember, tourists always go back to where they came from.”

Kai was right. And Leia hated it. Derek and she had zero chance of being together, so she was having a fling. So what? Her mind only had one image in it, and it was of her and Derek kissing. Her lackluster romantic life was dismal, and for once she was having a bit of fun having her flirty exchanges with Derek. But Leia knew what this thing was, and she couldn’t make the mistake of letting herself care too much.

Kai and Leia worked in tandem silence. When Leia finished up the loose ends on the bookkeeping, she stood and stretched. When she checked the time, Leia was disappointed Derek hadn’t stopped by at some point. With school starting back up next week, Leia couldn’t stick around any longer, she had things she needed to get ready for Monday.

With no choice, Leia reluctantly gathered up her purse, pushing in her chair. “I’m off,” said Leia.

Kai stopped typing on his keyboard, glancing over at her. “Are you sure about that?” He double checked his watch. “Derek is coming by in ten minutes. He’s bringing some proposals about the farm tours.”

Defensively, Leia crossed her arms and said, “I thought you told me earlier to stay out of it.”

“I know, but I’ve had a little longer to stew over it. I’d like you to stay and hear Derek out so you can give me a second opinion,” replied Kai.

Dropping her purse next to her desk, Leia sat back down. “I’ll stay. But I can only be here for another hour. I need to run to the grocery store and clean my apartment.”

Raising an eyebrow, Kai said, “Since when do you go to the grocery store? You usually just take fruit from the fruit stand and eat whatever Mom makes you.”

“You make me sound like a child,” replied Leia.

“Is that what I did?” asked Kai.

Their conversation was interrupted by the squeaking of the screen door. Derek popped his head inside. His gaze skidded to Leia, and Derek smiled warmly at her. Heat flooded to her middle, making her hands shaky.

As he stepped inside, the screen door slammed behind him. “Leia …” Her name dangled in the air. Derek added, “Hello, Kai.”

Kai clocked Derek then Leia and knowingly smirked.

Leia rolled her eyes at Kai, giving him a pointed look before she returned her gaze to Derek. “Kai asked me to stay. He said you’re giving him some information on starting farm tours,” stated Leia.

Scratching his chin, Derek strode the rest of the way inside with a messenger bag slung over his shoulder. His appearance was significantly more casual than their first business meeting together. Derek wore a plain blue T-shirt and khaki shorts with leather flip flops. The only thought that popped into her mind was dang, she kissed that! No wonder she wasn’t worried about the future.

As he lowered himself into the chair facing Kai and Leia, Derek replied, “Great idea. You can give me your opinion too.” He set his messenger bag down beside his chair then dug out his laptop and placed it on his lap.

After Derek was settled, he shot Leia a sizzling glance. The air crackled with palpable energy. Leia forced herself to look away because she was hot and flustered.

Slamming a hand on top of his desk, Kai said, “You two kissed. Didn’t you?” His gaze darted between the two of them. He wagged his finger back and forth. “There’s a weird energy thing going on.”

Clumsily, Leia shifted in her seat then jutted her chin. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.” She folded her arms protectively across her body.

Derek’s eyes dilated. “I don’t know how to respond.” He flashed Leia a panicked gaze.

Kai rolled his eyes. “I knew it.” He threw up a hand. “I knew there was something between you guys.” He pointed at Derek then Leia. “Everyone deserves a little fun now and then but,” he pointed at Derek, “we need to keep things professional, okay?” Kai raised an eyebrow.

“Of course.” Derek cleared his throat, making his Adam’s apple do that mesmerizing bobbing motion. “Should I show you my presentation about the farm tours now?” His hands lingered on top of his laptop.

Casually, Kai leaned forward. “Let’s see it.”

After Derek scooted his chair closer to their desks, he placed his laptop on the corner of Kai’s desk facing them. The screen displayed a PowerPoint presentation already cued up. Derek dove into explaining everything to them. The first slide had a list of their lost revenue over the past several years. Leia cringed at the numbers, doing their books, she wondered how she had been so blind to their financial situation. But Leia had only made orders for supplies, cut checks for the employees, and tallied up the daily sales from the store. Kai hadn’t ever asked her to compare expenses to revenue. Kai needed a real accountant.

Onto the next slide, Derek explained how the farm tours could help to recoup the loss and make the farm successful again. He walked through the startup costs, time frame, and other practical parts of making it a possibility.

Kai interjected and asked, “How many tours a week will we need to have in order to make the farm profitable again?”

Rubbing his chin, Derek replied, “I believe one tour a day with ten to twenty guests, where the guests get to pick some of the fruit and eat a meal prepared with the things grown on the farm. I believe it would be enough to get you out of the red and into the black.” He gestured toward Kai. “Now, if you up that to say maybe three or four tours a day, I believe that would give you enough profit to eventually become successful enough to hire more employees, maybe even pay off my company’s investment so you can completely own the farm again on your own.”

“I like the sound of that,” said Kai.

“I don’t know,” piped in Leia. Shaking her head, Leia continued, “I worry about the amount of traffic this would create through the farm. I fear it might damage the surrounding native plants, and the whole place will become crawling with people.”

“I’m glad you mentioned that, Leia.” Derek clicked to the next slide. “I do believe we need to be careful to maintain the integrity of the land. That’s why I would suggest smaller more manageable groups of ten to twenty people max. Most people come with their families, so you would only have maybe three families and cars parked at a time. Then you aren’t overwhelmed with visitors. In addition, the smaller groups help to create demand while preserving the land.”

Derek then explained the actual tour, cost, time, and everything else involved. After clicking to the last slide, Derek closed the PowerPoint presentation and asked, “So, Kai, what are your thoughts or questions?”

Blinking, Kai glanced toward Leia. “What do you think, little sis?” asked Kai.

Leia leaned forward and said, “Is this something your business partner Tyson is willing to do? From my emails with him, he made it seem like your investment firm wasn’t willing to invest the amount you mentioned.”

Derek tugged at his shirt collar. “I think Tyson will come around and come to see the farm could be a profitable investment.”

Holding up a hand, Kai said, “But Tyson isn’t on board with any of this now?” He shot Derek a pointed look.

An exhale made Derek’s shoulders drooped. “No,” shaking his head, he continued, “Tyson wants me to leave as soon as possible and start on a different potential investment.” Sitting straight, Derek said, “But I’m not ready to give up on the farm. Give me a few more days, and I’ll convince Tyson to invest.” He raised an eyebrow. “I mean, are you ready to move forward with the farm tour idea?”

Kai glanced at Leia. Leia shrugged. “It’s up to you, Kai. This is your life, your family’s livelihood, not mine.”

“But you live here too, and more importantly this is about Mom and Dad too,” said Kai.

“And what do you think Dad would tell you if he could voice his opinion?” asked Leia.

Without hesitation, Kai said, “He would tell me to save the farm at all costs.”

With a nod, Leia said, “There’s your answer.”

Kai turned back toward Derek. “Ok. Let’s move forward with your investment and farm tour idea. I guess that’s if your business partner Tyson comes on board.”

Firmly, Derek stated, “He will.” But Leia noticed the shakiness in his hands as he moved to place his laptop back into his messenger bag.

She wondered if he wasn’t revealing everything. Maybe Derek would go to Tyson, and Tyson would say no. If that happened then Derek would leave, the farm wouldn’t get the money it needed, and everything would fall apart. Her head started to spin.

Sweat trickled down her back. Bile bubbled up her throat. Forcing herself to swallow, the acid burned. “When will you know for sure?” asked Leia.

As he tugged his shirt down, Derek said, “Tyson’s out for the rest of the day on a family matter. I’m scheduled to speak with him first thing tomorrow and then we can go from there.”

Nodding, Kai said, “Until tomorrow then.” He stood, pushing in his desk chair. “I need to go fill in for Alana at the store for a few hours. She’s taking the kids to their various sports activities.” Walking to the door, Kai twisted back toward them. “Keep me posted, Derek.”

“Of course,” replied Derek. “We’ll talk soon.”

Kai exited, leaving the screen door to slam shut behind him.

Leia stood, walking around her desk. Sitting down on the corner of her desk, she palmed the surface on both sides of herself. “What happens if Tyson won’t pass off on the investment for the farm?” asked Leia.

Derek scratched his jaw. “He will,” replied Derek.

“But what if he doesn’t?” asked Leia. “Then what will my family do? They could lose the farm and everything they’ve worked hard to build.”

His gaze shone with reassurance. Derek interlocked his fingers with hers giving them a squeeze. “I’m not going to let that happen,” said Derek. “Promise.”

Leia wanted to believe him, trust him. But the truth was she had only just met Derek. Maybe he was only telling her what she wanted to hear? If Tyson said no to the investment, Leia didn’t see how Derek could do anything about it.

Leia shook his hand away and folded her arms across her body. “How can you promise that? You don’t know the future.” Her voice cracked. “And no matter what you’ll be gone soon.” Leia cast her gaze away, refusing to look at Derek.

Yanking Leia into a standing position, Derek wrapped his arms around her, and she mirrored his movements. He leaned in. “I’m here now. Everything will work out. I don’t want you to be stressed out about this anymore,” whispered Derek into her hair, making her neck tickle.

With her head against his chest, Leia listened to the steady thump of his heartbeat. His spicy aftershave filled her lungs, making her reasonable self conveniently forget about the implications of their fling. Leia was being foolish, and she knew it. If she was smart, she’d end this little thing right now. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. If she only had tonight, maybe tomorrow, or only a few more days, Leia wanted to spend them with Derek.

Eventually, she slackened her arms around his hips, Leia tilted her chin back enough to find Derek’s gaze. “I’m putting my trust in you,” said Leia.

“You won’t regret it.” Derek swiped some of her unruly strands of hair from her forehead, tucking them behind her ear. For a second, they stared at one another. Finally, Derek gulped, “Are we still on for dinner tonight?”

Up on her tiptoes, Leia kissed Derek quick on the lips. “You bet. I’m cooking for you. Remember?” said Leia.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to take you somewhere for dinner?” asked Derek.

Shaking her head, Leia replied, “No, I’m making you dinner. Then I want to take you to my favorite place in the entire world.”

His hand cupped her neck. Slowly, Derek leaned an inch from her lips. “I’d be honored.” Then he kissed her worries away.